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Bangles for BIG Girls...Bangles for PETITE Girls.... Bangles for AVERAGE Girls!

Add a touch of colour to your outfits with these fun and colourful resin bangles, sized to suit girls of all sizes. Magnetic clasps make these ideal for girls who find it hard to get a traditional bangle on their wrist. And they're available in a range of colours with different focals. Check them out in the Resin Jewellery Shop!

Friday, August 26, 2016

Resin beginners are often confused by what resin to use. When you're faced with a number of different types of resin to choose from, it can be daunting to work out which one will suit your needs best. I've been working with resin for almost 10 years and at last count, I've worked with at least 16 different types/brands of resin. That's a lot of resin and a lot of casting and it's given me a good understanding of what each resin is capable of.

So, let's take a look at the pros and cons of each resin type so you know how to choose the right resin for your project. As a sidenote, there are so MANY different types of resin out there and they are all formulated differently. It's not possible to cover them all but this will give you a general guide to help you understand what each resin is best suited to.

Epoxies are very easy to use and they are usually mixed in a 1:1 or a 2:1 ratio. The benefits of epoxies are the ease of measuring, mixing and colouring. They generally have a longer gel time so that you don't need to rush when adding colourants and embedments into the resin. Curing is often slower too and can take 12-24 hours, with full hardness achieved after 72 hours. These resins are usually very low in odour or no odour at all and are very easy to work with. The drawback is that finished epoxy pieces may yellow as they age. If you've added colourant to the resin, this won't be noticeable.

Epoxy resins are versatile: they're available as either casting resins (meaning that you can pour them into a mould to create objects such as bangles and coasters) or coating resins which are used to coat surfaces such as bar and table tops. Some are formulated so that they can be mixed in small batches for working on small scale jewellery items like pendant bezels. They can sometimes be used as a doming resin too.

Quick Curing Polyurethane Resin

When you need something to cure fast, this is the resin to reach for. They are sometimes measured by volume (1:1) and sometimes by weight. The polyurethanes we use in jewellery making are usually casting resins and they are best suited to being used in silicone moulds. Many gel in under 5 minutes and can be demoulded in as little as 10-20 minutes. On the downside, they are very moisture sensitive and will almost always bubble. The "clear" versions of polyurethanes are usually more amber than clear. You can also buy polyurethanes in some basic opaque colours such as white, black and flesh. Because of their quick gel time, they are not well suited to embedding but you can still add colours and glitters before mixing the two parts together. Learn how to make fun bangles like this Licorice Allsorts bangle stack in one of my beginner's resin classes.

Water Clear Polyester Resin
Most commonly used in the boat building industry as a laminating resin but it's also formulated as a casting resin, making it suitable for jewellery making. Where epoxy and polyurethane resins are measured in a 1:1 ratio, polyester resin uses an MEKP catalyst which is added by number of drops per millilitre/ounce of resin. Working out how much catalyst to add can be tricky - not only do you have to take into account the volume you are mixing, but also the thickness of the casting, the humidity and the air temperature. Too much catalyst and it could flash (ignite) or crack as the resin cures. It also has a very nasty odour so it needs to be worked with outside. But the attraction of polyester resin is its clarity - it is crystal clear, as you can see in this souvenir I picked up in Singapore.

UV Resin - the User-Friendly Resin
These are the most user friendly resins of all because there is no mixing, no measuring: you just pour the resin and then place it under UV light and it cures in about 10 minutes. No odour, no wastage and no clean up. And it is fabulous for doming. You can cure the pieces under a UV nail lamp or in the sunlight. The drawback of this resin is that it is a coating resin so it's only suitable for surface coating or for working in thin layers. You'll find the project instructions to make these fun fridge magnets here.

Epoxy Clay - for Creating Dimensional Jewellery

As the name suggests, this resin is a clay so once mixed together, instead of pouring it into a mould, you push it into the mould or bezel. It's mixed together in equal quantities and can be coloured using dyes and powders. Because of it's strength, it is an excellent adhesive and is perfect for creating pavé jewellery where the crystals will be permanently embedded once cured. It can also be sculpted, sanded and painted, making it suitable for home decor items too. You'll find two gorgeous Pavé-style jewellery tutorials here and here.

Now that you know a little more about the types of resin, use the flow chart below to work out which resin(s) will be suitable for your project.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

This eye-catching bracelet is sure to surprise you. It's made from wood, metal and glass beads - a really striking combination. But there's something a bit out of the ordinary about this bracelet. Those long red wooden beads are rather interesting. And you're probably thinking that you've seen them somewhere before but can't quite put your finger on what it is that's so familiar about them. Have you worked it out yet? No?

Begin by unravelling the placemat. You'll need eight of the short bamboo sticks. You'll find these along the top and bottom rows of the placemat.

Cut two 30cm (12") lengths of Stretch Magic and pre-stretch each one. This will help minimise overstretching the bracelet with wear.

On each piece of elastic, string the first hole of a donut bead. Then sting a bicone on each one and pass the elastic through the second hole of each donut bead. Thread one elastic through the top hole of a bamboo bead and the other through the bottom hole. Repeat.

String a square bead on each piece of elastic and then add another bamboo bead. Repeat.

Repeat these first two steps once more.

Bring the two ends of the bracelet together and tie both ends of the top elastic together in a half knot.

Tie another knot in the elastic to secure. Tie the bottom elastic off in the same way.

Trim the knots to 6mm (1/4").

Pull the knots tight by holding the cut ends between your fingers and pulling them in every direction to tighten.

Apply adhesive to each of the knots for added security and allow it to dry.

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Colourful resin bracelet with a sparkly magnetic clasp. Now available in my Resin Jewellery Shop.

These stylish bracelets feature a selection of crystal focals and silver beads and have a strong, crystal-encrusted magnetic clasp, making them perfect for the girl who can't get a regular bangle over her knuckles. They also come in larges sizes for girls with bigger wrists.